Report: Angela Merkel wants a fourth term

Chancellor Angela Merkel wants more time in office, "Der Spiegel" reported on Saturday. The news magazine said Merkel had already held a meeting with senior party aides in her Christian Democratic Union (CDU) to discuss an election campaign strategy for 2017.

At the talks with CDU General Secretary Peter Tauber and political manager Klaus Schüler, it was reportedly agreed that the campaign should be managed internally, and not by an outsider - a method employed by the center-left Social Democrats to get former chancellor Gerhard Schröder elected.

"Der Spiegel" also said Merkel had recently discussed an election strategy with Horst Seehofer, the leader of the CDU's Bavarian sister party, the Christian Social Union (CSU). At that meeting, Seehofer called for the union to set a goal of achieving an absolute majority in 2017.

Merkel won a third term in 2013 and, after weeks of negotiations, formed a coalition government with the Social Democrats. In her previous term, Merkel governed with a coalition of the CDU, CSU and the Free Democratic Party (FDP).

The report in "Der Spiegel" added that Merkel planned to officially announce her decision at the beginning of 2016.

nm/bk (dpa)